World Report - January 31: Saturday's top stories in 10 minutes

Episode Date: January 31, 2026

Conservative Party of Canada votes 87.4% for Pierre Poilievre to remain as leader of the party.An amnesty bill announced in Venezuela could see hundreds of political prisoners set free.Iran’s president is accusing the U.S., Israel and Europe of stoking unrest, as tensions rise and Washington says all options remain on the table.Separatists in Pakistan say they killed 21 people in coordinated attacks in the restive province of Balochistan.Canada’s Governor General Mary Simon is travelling to Norway for the Arctic Frontiers Conference, highlighting Canada’s Arctic cooperation and Indigenous partnerships.Australia is sweltering through a severe heatwave, with temperatures nearing 50 degrees in some regions.Extreme cold to grip much of Ontario through the weekend.

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The Conservative Party of Canada has delivered a strong show of confidence in its leader, Pierre Paulyev. Polyev won nearly 87 and a half percent support in a leadership vote held last night at the party's convention in Calgary. The result widely seen as a test of his leadership and a result. signal the party believes he's the right person to lead them into the next federal election. Host of CBC Radio's The House, Catherine Cullen, is in Calgary and joins us now. So, Catherine, what do we make of these results? John, the conservatives are quite happy with this. It surpasses the 84% that former Prime Minister Stephen Harper received when the party gave him a second chance

after an election loss in 2005. Now, it is pretty rare these days that political parties do give their leaders a second shot like this. Pollyev put a lot of effort into this. For weeks, he has been meeting with delegates around the country trying to lock in this vote. It seems to have paid off. Here is some of what he had to say during his speech last night in Calgary. My message to those people who have felt unseen for too long, who are carrying the country on their back and feel underappreciated and overworked.

Conservatives see you, and conservatives will fight for you. So, Catherine, the day after and go. Going forward, where does this leave the conservatives? It does give Pollyev a break. In the past few months, he's had the election loss, losing his own seat, and seeing two MPs cross the floor to the liberal, so a lot of friction. His election campaign manager says this at least somewhat quells the naysayers. There are now plans for Pollyev to tour the country, hold town halls,

as well as a suggestion that he'll have more to say about Donald Trump. But Trump is just one of the issues Pollyev has to contend with. slumping NDP support hurts the conservative chances, and conservatives fear the liberals will trigger an election soon. Polyop's leadership, it's been affirmed, but he still has a lot of challenges ahead to contend with. Host of CBC Radio's The House, Catherine Cullen, joining us from Calgary.

Thanks. Thank you. And you can hear more from the CBC's Catherine Cullen on the House right after the 9 o'clock edition of World Report. Venezuela's acting president has announced plans for an amnesty law that would free hundreds of political prisoners A move long sought by the United States following the ouster of Nicholas Maduro.

Opposition leader Maria Karina Machado says that the proposal reflects outside pressure and warns much more must be done. This was not something the regime wanted to do voluntarily. It's a result of real pressure from the United States. More than 700 prisoners are still in torture centers and they must be reunited with their families. Machado says the amnesty could mark

a step towards reconciliation, but only if it's fully implemented. Tensions between the United States and Iran are heating up after Tehran announced plans to carry out military drills in the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. says it will not tolerate any unsafe actions as it continues to build up its military presence in the region. President Donald Trump also threatening to use force if Iran does not agree to a nuclear deal. The CBC's Julia Chapman reports from London. In a growing standoff between Iran and the U.S., the Strait of Hormuz could become a flashpoint. US Central Command says Iran must follow international law in its naval exercises, warning any unsafe behavior could lead to escalation.

Iran announced it would carry out naval shooting on Sunday and Monday in the narrow passage of water between Iran and Oman. It provided coordinates that reach into a crucial shipping lane. A fifth of the world's oil goes through the strait, and tensions there usually lead to higher oil prices. U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to attack Iran. We have a large armada, flotilla, go out whatever you want, heading toward Iran right now, even larger than what we had in Venezuela. The U.S. has sent an aircraft carrier and guided missile destroyers to the nearby Arabian Sea. comes after Iranian authorities violently suppressed popular protests. President Trump told demonstrators help is on the way, but he has yet to intervene. And once again, he is demanding that Iran

limits its nuclear ambitions. I can say this, they do want to make a deal. Iran's foreign minister Abbas Arakshi says his country is willing to negotiate, but not on missiles. In an address today, Iranian President Massoud Peshiyan accused, the US, Israel and Europe of provoking the protests and trying to tear the country apart. Julia Chapman, CBC News, London. Separatists in Pakistan are claiming responsibility for killing 21 people. The militants are from the Balochistan province, a region fighting for independence. The separatists targeted civilians, a high-security prison, police stations and paramilitary

installations in southern Pakistan. Pakistani authorities say at least 108 militants have been killed. across Belochistan in the past 48 hours. Canada's Governor General Mary Simon will be traveling to Norway to take part in the Arctic Frontiers Conference. Her visit meant to highlight Canada's commitment to Arctic collaboration and will include fostering indigenous connections. Simon will be at the conference from February 2nd to the 4th. While much of Canada is locked in extreme cold, Australia is sweltering through a severe heat wave. Temperatures are pushing close to 50 degrees Celsius in some of.

areas offering little relief day or night. Phil Mercer has more. Can't bait it. Can't bait it. Not around a year. In rivers or in the ocean, Australians have sought relief from a dome of heat that's brought record-breaking temperatures to the southeast. Work was cut short, so down to the beach. The weather, the water. It's too hot for anything else. Heat waves are Australia's deadliest natural hazard, fueling fears for those who work outside. Michelle O'Neill is from the Australian Council of Trade Unions. We see heat waves that we're experiencing around Australia at the moment

and year upon year increasing temperatures as a result of climate change, it's becoming more of an issue. And Elizabeth Humphreys from the University of Technology Sydney says construction sites can be deadly. You know, some of the workers who end up being quite sick and even dying from high heat are actually young workers, young fit men. The heat is also contributing to the ongoing wildfire crisis, with flames continuing to menace communities in the state of Victoria.

Corolla Anstis, who runs a wildlife shelter, is fearing the worst. The kangaroo food that I left out hasn't been touched, so I suspect that my kangaroos and wallabies are either so far gone that they haven't returned home or more than likely they've been burnt. Hotter than average conditions are expected to continue for weeks. Phil Mercer for CBC News. Sydney. Meanwhile here at home, Environment Canada has issued extreme cold warnings for parts of the prairies, northern Ontario, and Quebec. Forecasters say dangerously cold temperatures will also continue to

grip southwestern and central Ontario throughout this weekend as well. And that has many communities activating plans to help vulnerable people keep them safe. Philip Lyshanock reports. It really is just sort of like a last ditch effort for people to come in and get warm. Gordon Richards of the Shepherds of Good Hope says even if the shelter 200 beds are full, it will stay open around the clock as a warming center for those without a home. If they can't secure a bed or they just want to come in for a few hours and then head back out. Overnight lows are expected in the minus 20s with wind chills in the minus 30s. Stephen Flesfetter is a warning preparedness meteorologist with environment and climate change Canada.

So very cold, frigid, and potentially dangerous temperatures. So if you're outdoors for a long period of time, you're increasing that risk. for cold-related injury. Toronto has added shelter spaces and open city warming centers. Dr. Stephen Huang is a research scientist at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto. He says when temperatures are this low, the risks of hypothermia and severe frostbite rises. It actually can happen within just a few minutes, temperatures like this. The tragedy is that like weeks and months down the road, those frozen fingers and toes can fall off

and require amputation, and sometimes people have lost their feet because of frostbite. Environment Canada says temperatures will moderate next week with daytime highs in the minus single digits. But colder than normal lows will stick around through mid-February. Philip Lyshaunoch, CBC News, Toronto. And that is the latest national and international news from World Report. Remember for news anytime. Go to our website, cBCNews.ca. I'm John Northcott.

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